Street fight turns to bloodshed
What began as a street brawl in Chiang Mai exploded into shocking violence, leaving three teenagers with life-changing injuries. The brutal fight broke out in front of a convenience store on the old San Kamphaeng Road, between the Nong Pratheep and Buak Krok intersections.
Two groups of teenagers on motorbikes clashed with machetes and other weapons. In the chaos, a 14-year-old girl suffered the most devastating injury – her hand severed by a machete strike. A 17-year-old boy was left with a deep wound to his back, while a 16-year-old girl lost a finger. All were rushed to hospital with serious injuries.
The shocking attack has shaken the city, with residents stunned at the level of savagery now seen in youth clashes.
Manhunt across northern Thailand
Police Lieutenant General Krittaphon Yeesakhon, commander of Provincial Police Region 5, immediately ordered a large-scale manhunt. “Mong was already on our watchlist for repeated violence,” one officer revealed. The suspect had reportedly been involved in a similar machete attack in Chang Phueak district back in March.
The breakthrough came at a drug checkpoint in Mueang Tha district, Lamphun, where Mong attempted to flee on a motorbike. Alert officers intercepted him, ending his escape with a dramatic arrest.
Authorities are now piecing together the trail of violence, with questions mounting over how teenage gang feuds spiralled into such horrific brutality.
Youth violence spirals
The incident has highlighted growing fears over escalating youth violence in Chiang Mai and nearby provinces. Police have pledged to step up patrols and monitor groups of teenagers gathering late at night on motorbikes.
“The pattern of clashes is becoming more violent,” a police spokesman admitted. Alongside Mong, another suspect named Daw is already in custody. A third, known as Top, remains on the run and is thought to have fled to another province.
Investigators suspect the teenagers are part of an organised criminal network, responsible for a string of machete attacks in the region. Forensic teams are now analysing evidence, including surveillance footage from nearby shops, in a bid to dismantle the gang’s operations.
“We are determined to bring every perpetrator to justice,” vowed police. The hunt for the fugitive Top continues, as pressure mounts to stamp out the bloody wave of youth gang violence terrorising Chiang Mai.